Honey Harvest (Japanese honey bee)

I’m sorry that I did not get more pictures of the actual process, but I did not have my camera with me at the time.

I had tried to open the hive several times to harvest some honey, but the bees were very defensive or something else happened that put me off, so I gave it up each time. Finally, I used smoke and smoked them good and there was no defensiveness at all–just mass confusion. I opened the top of the hive and cut out capped honeycomb from the top of the log hive, putting it into a cooking pan. I did not take too much out, maybe only a few pounds.

Bees were out on the ground (cement), and all over the outside of the hive, and a large cluster formed outside the hive hanging from the bottom underneath. It did not look too good, but by the next day, they had gone back inside and activity had returned to normal. I was prepared for the possibility of the bees absconding, but that did not happen.

I crushed the comb and let it strain through a wire strainer into a stainless steel bowl and poured it into several small jars. The honey from Japanese honey bees has a higher water content than that of European (Western) honey bees, so it strained easily. It is light, very sweet, and has a nice flavor. It is almost impossible to find it for sale at a store. Most of the honey sold is either imported from China, or is from Western (European) honey bees kept in Japan. In America we call Apis mellifera “European honey bee” and in Japan they call it “Seiyo mitsubachi” (“Western honey bee”). Honey from China is cheapest. Honey produced in Japan is expensive, and honey from native Japanese honey bees is extremely expensive and hard to get.

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One Response to Honey Harvest (Japanese honey bee)

  1. anwestover says:

    Mmmm, looks scrumptious. When you think about it, you might be able to argue that it some of the most rare honey in the world.

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